Let’s talk about Ottilie. Ottilie is an old German name that’s increasingly popular in the U.K. And although it’s still rather rare in the United States, recent upward trends in both countries lead me to believe Ottilie has what it takes to become the next “it” name for girls.
For starters, Ottilie begins with the odd letter ‘O,’ a favorite of today’s parents. Olivia is arguably the world’s most popular baby name in a Latin alphabet, ranking #1 in several countries (including the U.S., Canada, and much of the U.K.) and rising in many others. Oliver ranks #1 in New Zealand, #2 in England and Wales, #3 in the United States…the list goes on. Ophelia, Olive, Ocean, and Onyx are all trendy in America. Even Ottilie, which was only given to 34 baby girls born in the U.S. in 2022, was practically unheard of 10 years ago and is only picking up steam from here. We’ve already revived Otto, a related boys’ name that means “wealth.” And because it ranks a decently high #118 in England and Wales, Anglophile parents may be inspired to transfer Ottilie across the pond.
Another positive in Ottilie’s favor is that it’s vintage! Ottilie has actually ranked in American name data before, but it last reached the Top 1000 in 1904. Taking the 100-year-cycle into account, Ottilie is actually overdue for a revival. If the youngest namesakes were born 120 years ago, most people of childbearing age today have probably never met one. Ottilie isn’t a grandma name – it’s more like a great, great, or even 3rd great-grandma name. If we can dust off Violet and Matilda, other classic Victorian baby names, we can revive Ottilie. And as I’ve mentioned, Americans have already resurrected and popularized Otto.
Something else parents always look to when picking baby names is the meaning. Some of the possible meanings for Ottilie include “wealth,” “prosperity,” “prosperity in battle,” and “rich,” taken from the Old High German root “ot.” Who doesn’t want their child to be successful? Baby names are inherently aspirational. Alternatively, Ottilie can also mean “heritage” if derived from another Old High German root, “uodil.”
Unless a name is short and minimalist, nickname potential is a key consideration for picking a longer name. Many parents prefer a full, formal name to go on the birth certificate when they have a favorite nickname in mind. Ottilie is delightful altogether, but I think there are some great options for pet forms. Tilly is the most obvious, a cute and sweet nickname that’s usually short for Matilda but that’s very close to reentering the U.S. Top 1000 in its own right. You can also spell it Tillie. Lottie is usually short for Charlotte, but wouldn’t you be pleasantly surprised to find out it’s short for Ottilie instead? Lily and Otter invoke nature themes. Ollie doesn’t have to be short for Oliver, and Ottie is a great way to honor Grandpa Otto. There’s even Ottoline, which presents more formally but began as a diminutive for Ottilie.
I’ve waxed poetically about Ottilie’s virtues and her potential for baby name success, but this *is* the “Well-Informed Namer.” It’s one thing to describe the pros of a name, but I must also report on the cons of some baby names so you can be well-informed when you name your child. The two ‘t’s in Ottilie are meant to be pronounced in a staccato like the t’s in “attache” or “Tamara;” hence, “AHT-tih-lee.” That’s a close approximation of the usual British pronunciation (Germans say it more like “oh-TEEL-yuh,” like Ophelia with a ‘T’). Americans, though, are sometimes prone to pronouncing the t’s like d’s. In other words, Americans sometimes say Ottilie like “Oddly.” One family found that out the hard way in 2016, when they named their daughter Ottilie but were ultimately forced to change it. I’ve wondered whether they would still change her name if she was born in 2023 and not 2016, owing to changes in familiarity with the name, but it turns out Margot suits her better anyway!
Do you like the name Ottilie? Do you prefer a different version like Ottoline or Ottilia? Which nickname, if any, would you pick? And do you think the pronunciation difficulties are too much for it to take off in America, even if it ultimately reaches the top 100 in the U.K.? Let me know!
The Well-Informed Namer 